Thursday, May 28, 2015

Finally, it is happening - all MAS in-house trade unions will die. It is most disappointing that it seems that these unions and its members did not do much to fight for the rights of MAS Employees, and their unions. A perusal of reported news tells us this (we do not know what was happening behind close doors) - but the employees never even picketed, let alone strike, something that would have happened in most countries. We are talking of all the about 20,000 employees of MAS losing their jobs. I blogged about this in 2014.

Even most disturbing is the fact that MASEU seems to be more concerned about what to do with the assets of the Union once it ceases to exist - 2 Extraordinary General Meetings(EGM). They are talking about forming a cooperative ....of what? MAS Employee Alumni?

Did the UNION have any EGMs earlier to talk about fighting for their members' rights? Have they given up now - when there is still time to fight for the rights of the MAS employees.

Was the leadership compromised into apathy and silence? The Unions still have a duty to fight for justice and worker rights - or have they all given up?

No room for staff unions as MAS ‘reboot’ takes off in September

In this April 10, 2014 file photo, a Malaysia Airlines crew walks
into a check in area at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang,
Malaysia. Photo: AP

MASEU, which represents some 13,500 MAS
employees, is expected to be dissolved as the new management has
indicated that the union did not have a place in the new company, which
will start operations on Sept 1. The union, resigned to this for the
moment, is looking at turning itself into a cooperative in the new
entity.

MASEU executive secretary Mohd Jabarullah Abd Kadir
confirmed this and told The Malaysian Insider that two extraordinary
general meetings had been held recently to discuss the possible
dissolution of the union.

“We’ve decided in the meeting that firstly, we
will have to dissolve the union and secondly, maybe turn it into a
cooperative,” he said.

Mr Jabarullah said although the
union had held two extraordinary general meetings, the most recent being
on May 18, the matter would still need to be discussed further and
members will have to vote at another meeting. “We will make this a
secret ballot to find out what the members want,” he said.

Mr
Jabarullah said the union had to take this drastic measure because
under Khazanah Nasional Berhad’s plan to return the troubled airline to
profit, the new management does not recognise the union.

Saddled
with debts and the twin tragedies of MH370 and MH17, the government
through its investment arm Khazanah Nasional, is on a last-ditch effort
to revamp the ailing MAS.

It was reported that the
service of 20,000 MAS employees would be terminated but two-thirds would
be re-hired by a new company, MAS Bhd, which will begin operations on
Sept 1.

It was understood that the new company wants to form a union consisting of its own people, who are friendly to the management.

Mr
Jabarullah said the new management’s reluctance to recognise MASEU as a
union stems from the new MAS Act which is at odds with the Employment
Act 1955.

It was reported that MAS has an existing
workforce of 20,000, of which some 6,000 to 8,000 are expected to be
laid off by Khazanah as part of its RM6 billion (S$2.23 billion)
restructuring plan.

There are at least nine workers unions and associations in
MAS. Apart from MASEU, others include the National Union of Flight
Attendants Malaysia, which represents about 1,500 cabin crew members,
Malaysia Airlines Employees Union Peninsular Malaysia and the Malaysia
Airlines Pilot Association.

Mr Jabarullah said staff will
probably receive two letters – the first one for termination of their
services with MAS and the second, either an offer to join MAS Bhd or to
report to the Corporate Development Centre, set up to retrain the sacked
workers.

Meanwhile, a MAS engineer identified as Mr Shukri
said that with the dissolution of MASEU, he and others are worried
whether the welfare of workers will be protected in the new company.

“It seems that the union can’t do anything, they’re going to have to be dissolved.

“With MAS gone, automatically the union will be finished. Most likely the new company might not have any union at all,” he said.

Meanwhile,
Malaysian Trade Union Congress secretary-general N Gopal Kishnam said
MASEU should not take such a drastic measure. “It is not proper, why do
they want to dissolve the union. They should continue to fight for the
workers’ rights?” he said.

This came after Khazanah
unveiled a 12-point plan to enable MAS to achieve sustained
profitability within three years of de-listing, by the end of 2017.

Its
managing director Azman Mokhtar said the plan involved a comprehensive
overhaul of the airline and has four categories which are governance and
financial framework, operating business model, leadership and human
capital, and regulatory and enabling environment. THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER- Today Online, 28/5/2015

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